GreenEyed Monster
by ABC Girl
Summary: CSI:Miami HoratioCalleighHagen triangle
1. Default Chapter

Title: Green-Eyed Monster (1/?)  
  
Author: Andrea (abc3969)  
  
Rating: R (adult language, themes)  
  
Pairing: Hagen/Calleigh, Horatio/Calleigh  
  
Spoilers: None, really, as long as you know who Hagen is.  
  
Author's Notes: My first serial fic! I had an idea going into Part 1, but it was slow to evolve. Now, suddenly, inspiration has struck and it's taking me in a whole new direction, apparently! Part 2 up soon.  
  
Feedback: Please.this one needs it!  
  
Disclaimer: Me no profit, you no sue.  
  
*****  
  
Detective John Hagen. Miami-Dade's Golden Boy of the moment. Bastard. Just the thought of that name makes Horatio's blood simmer. Every time he hears that name, Horatio has to fight the urge to lose the temper he works especially hard at trying to control.  
  
The Herald showcased Hagen in their recent "Miami's Most Eligible Bachelors" feature. Horatio, curiously, didn't make the list. Lousy rag. MDPD publicity reps make sure to plaster Hagen's face all over the evening news, "good PR," they claim. The new class of female cadets falls over each other scrambling to get his attention.  
  
One day, somebody's gonna have to knock him off his pedestal, Horatio thinks, and if I'm not the one to do it, I'll surely buy the first round for the guy who does.  
  
If pressed to admit it, Horatio could find nothing wrong with Hagen professionally. He does his job and does it well. He is dedicated to serving the people of Miami and seems to love his work. His solve rate is fast becoming the stuff of legends. He nearly always gets assigned to all the high-priority cases directly from the top brass, or is asked to consult. He knows his stuff. Can't find fault with him there, damn it.  
  
'He's a snappy dresser, rivaled only by yours truly,' Horatio mused wryly. No fault there either.  
  
He's equally comfortable working with both men and women. Everybody just loves him. Again, no fault.  
  
But the women, well, the women of CSI are all acting as though they're under some sort of spell-he's got each of them convinced that they are his next victim.check that, girlfriend. THERE. There's the fault. He's playing mind games and the ladies are going to get hurt. While Horatio doesn't want to see any of his co-workers trampled by this Romeo, he's especially concerned about Calleigh.  
  
Hagen and Calleigh have a successful working relationship. They easily bounce ideas off each other and Calleigh fills in the missing pieces of his cases. More than once, she's pulled his ass out of the fire, so to speak. She's what makes his solve rate so high. They can laugh and tease each other comfortably. It's sickening, really. He practically gets starry- eyed looking at her and she gets a gleam in her eye that Horatio doesn't like one bit. 'She used to look at me that way,' Horatio remembers. Then, Golden Boy nailed a drug lord on the FBI's Most Wanted List. The scum was running guns out of a greenhouse near South Beach. Calleigh's crackerjack skills tied him to the guns in only hours. Her service record would forever reflect the fact that she showed up the Boys Club. Damn, Horatio was proud of her. But, so was Hagen. He'd offered to take her to dinner to celebrate "their" collar. As far as Horatio was concerned, it was Calleigh's collar, and hers alone. Hagen just rode the wave in her wake.  
  
That was two months ago. Calleigh and Hagen have been inseparable since then. Oh, they haven't made any grand announcements to the effect, but Horatio's radar was picking up the signals loud and clear-Calleigh and Hagen had extended their association to "after hours." They are a couple. Why the hell did that bother him so much?  
  
Calleigh didn't stick around at lunchtime anymore-she went to meet Hagen or he picked her up and took her out. Whenever the gang decided to blow off some steam and head for the bar, Calleigh would beg off. Several times, Horatio spied Hagen dropping Calleigh off for work in the morning. Not a good sign. She'd obviously spent the previous nights with him. Alexx had even mentioned that she had asked Calleigh to go for a "girls' night out," but again, Calleigh had declined. Things were going downhill fast. Calleigh was pulling away from her friends and keeping herself only to Hagen. Horatio was not just jealous, a feeling he'd analyze later, but he was suspicious. Something just isn't right.  
  
End Part 1, TBC. 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Green-Eyed Monster (2/?)  
  
Author: Andrea (abc3969)  
  
Rating: R (adult language, themes)  
  
Pairing: Hagen/Calleigh, Horatio/Calleigh  
  
Spoilers: None, really, as long as you know who Hagen is.  
  
Author's Notes: My first serial fic! I had an idea going into Part 1, but it was slow to evolve. Now, suddenly, inspiration has struck and it's taking me in a whole new direction, apparently! Part 3 up soon.  
  
Feedback: Please.this one needs it!  
  
Disclaimer: Me no profit, you no sue.  
  
*****  
  
"Knock, knock, knock." Calleigh said, as she breezed through Horatio's office door. "You got a second?"  
  
"For you, always.what's up?" came Horatio's reply.  
  
Calleigh plunked herself into the chair facing Horatio's desk and took on a serious face. Instantly, Horatio went into "investigator" mode. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and his skin began to tingle in awareness. Calleigh sat primly across from him, but she wouldn't look him in the eye. He went immediately from aware to concerned.  
  
Cal, talk to me. You know, whatever it is, I can deal, OK?"  
  
She laughed nervously and managed to look at him then.  
  
"Horatio, you know I never take time off, right? I'm here day in and day out, even on weekends and holidays. I love my work and I love.the team."  
  
"Do I sense a 'but' coming?" he wonders out loud.  
  
"Well, yeah." Calleigh admits.  
  
Uh-oh. The alarms start sounding in Horatio's brain. 'This is it,' he thinks. This is where she tells me she's in love with Hagen and that she's leaving to go live happily ever after.  
  
"The 'but' is, I can't keep doing this."  
  
"This, what?" Horatio asks, confused.  
  
"THIS, Horatio. I can't keep coming here every day, giving everything I've got to my job. I want a LIFE, damn it. John keeps telling me I'm headed for burn out."  
  
"John?" Horatio feigns ignorance.  
  
"Horatio, don't pretend you don't know John Hagen. You probably know him better than I do." Calleigh barks out angrily.  
  
"Oh, I doubt that," Horatio comments under his breath as he reaches for Calleigh's arm.  
  
He makes contact with her, briefly causing electricity to arc between them. He looks at her and she startles at the connection.  
  
Calleigh springs up like a cobra about to strike and tries to made a hasty exit past Horatio's imposing frame. He has just enough time and strong enough reflexes to catcher her by the elbow and swivel her around to face him again.  
  
"What are you going to do, Cal?" he asks, dreading the answer already.  
  
"I don't know yet. I just need to get out of here for a while. I've got a boatload of personal time saved up. You'll sign off on a leave of absence for me, won't you?" she asks.  
  
Realizing her had no other real choice, he stoically agreed.  
  
Calleigh turned and began to walk away, but looked back just as she crossed the threshold.  
  
"Please try to understand, Horatio." Calleigh entreated.  
  
Her look of desperation tugged at Horatio's heart. He tried to smile, but the sentiment never reached his eyes.  
  
"Go. Be safe. Come talk to me when you decide where you go from here," he states, with just a hint of sullenness in his voice.  
  
Calleigh left then. Horatio stood stiffly watching her retreating form and couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever see her again. Telling her how he feels, what's in his heart, may cause her to run every further away. The last thing he wanted was to complicate the enigma that was Calleigh Duquesne. He longed to solve her problems, to be the answer, not another question. How could he do it? What could he do now? The answer came in a blinding flash.  
  
Horatio grabbed his jacket and sprinted out his office door, dialing his cell phone as he went.  
  
"Hagen, it's Horatio Caine. We've got to talk."  
  
End Part 2, TBC. 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Green-Eyed Monster (3/4)  
  
Author: Andrea (abc3969)  
  
Rating: R (adult language, themes)  
  
Pairing: Hagen/Calleigh, Horatio/Calleigh  
  
Spoilers: None, really, as long as you know who Hagen is.  
  
Author's Notes: My first serial fic! I had an idea going into Part 1, but it was slow to evolve. Now, suddenly, inspiration has struck and it's taking me in a whole new direction, apparently! Part 4 up soon.  
  
Feedback: Please.this one needs it!  
  
Disclaimer: Me no profit, you no sue.  
  
*****  
  
Twenty minutes later, Horatio swung the Hummer into the beachside parking lot at The Happy Clam Grill and strode purposefully in the door to find Hagen already in a booth, munching on corn chips.  
  
"Horatio, what the hell's going on? You sounded pretty messed up on the phone," Hagen inquired.  
  
"Look, I'll make this quick. Neither one of us wants to be here, me most of all, but there are some things we need to get clean on, alright?" Horatio could barely hold his emotions in check.  
  
"OK, man, what is it? Is something wrong with Yelena or Little Ray? You know I'd do anything for them. Ray was my best friend and the best damn partner I could ask for, except maybe Calleigh," Hagen said worriedly.  
  
Horatio fought to maintain some decorum. He slowly removed his sunglasses, the better to look Hagen in the eye.  
  
"No, Yelena and Ray Junior are fine. It's Calleigh I'm concerned about," he explains.  
  
"Oh. She came to see you today, didn't she? She mentioned last night that she was planning to talk to you."  
  
"Hagen. Listen up and listen well. This is how it is. Calleigh's NOT your partner. She's on MY team. And I'll thank you very much not to fill her head with ideas about burnout. She's nowhere near burnt out.she's angry and frustrated, but those things just make her a more astute CSI. She can't leave. I need her."  
  
Horatio, stunned by his own admission, forced air into his lungs and diverted his eyes to the shoreline, preparing himself for Hagen's reaction to his tirade.  
  
"Oh, man, you don't get it, do you?" Hagen laughed coarsely.  
  
"I GET IT just fine, Hagen. You have a lot of influence over Calleigh. It doesn't take a genius to see that you two are involved. I don't want her hurt; and no matter how long we've known each other and how good a friend you've been to my family, so help me God, if you do hurt her, you'll pay in ways you never knew were possible. Clear?" Horatio spat tersely.  
  
Hagen laughed mirthlessly. He couldn't believe how dense Horatio was. He really DIDN'T see the writing on the wall.  
  
"Buddy, I hate to tell you this, but you've got it ALL wrong. I'm not the one making Calleigh hurt. You are."  
  
Horatio could digest Hagen's words. Just the thought that he was causing Calleigh pain made Horatio's heart twist in his chest.  
  
"Calleigh and I aren't involved. Not like I think you mean. We're friends, best friends even. We understand each other and can talk about things with each other that outsiders just don't get. Sure, Calleigh has girlfriends, but she can't easily bring up GSR and splatter patterns in conversations with them. She can't 'talk shop' with them like she can with me. We've gotten each other through some pretty rough places lately. But that's it. Her heart is already spoken for.she made that crystal clear from the beginning. Sure, I made a play for her. Who wouldn't? But she set me straight. I'm just freakin' amazed that you can't see it," Hagen says, incredulously.  
  
"Can't see what? You're talking in riddles, Hagen. Just say it," Horatio barks.  
  
"Why do you think Calleigh works so hard and so much? She does it for you, you clueless, lucky bastard. She's doing anything and everything to get your attention and respect. She's the best ballistics person in the state. Awards and commendations are hers for the taking, but she'd forfeit all of that for a chance with you. All you'd have to do is say the word, and she's yours. She's not burnt out. She's torn up inside. She wants to be the best at her job, but she thinks she's falling for you and she can't deal with that. I probably shouldn't have said anything to you about this, but there it is. She's in love with you and she's scared to death to admit it."  
  
Horatio's anger deflated like an old balloon. He really did have it all wrong. Hagen wasn't his competition after all. But, oh, God, what now?  
  
Horatio chuckled deep in his chest and genuinely smiled.  
  
"You ever heard of a 'Mexican Stand-off? That's what we've got here. I feel the same way about her. I just don't know how to tell her," Horatio laughed. "Listen, John. I'm sorry for jumping down your throat just now. I assumed you two were a couple and I was so jealous I couldn't deal. "  
  
"Caine, as bad as she's got it for you, I'd think there was only one thing to do."  
  
"I'm leaving right now," Horatio called over his shoulder as he headed for the Hummer.  
  
End, Part 3 TBC.(one more chapter, I think.) 


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Green-Eyed Monster (4/4)  
  
Author: Andrea (abc3969)  
  
Rating: R (adult language, themes)  
  
Pairing: Hagen/Calleigh, Horatio/Calleigh  
  
Spoilers: None, really, as long as you know who Hagen is.  
  
Author's Notes: My first serial fic! I had an idea going into Part 1, but it was slow to evolve. Now, suddenly, inspiration has struck and it's taking me in a whole new direction, apparently!  
  
Feedback: Please.this one needs it!  
  
Disclaimer: Me no profit, you no sue.  
  
*****  
  
Calleigh sensed his presence outside her apartment long before she heard his knock. It was as if her entire being was attuned to his frequency. When she left the lab earlier today, she had hoped to avoid the confrontation that was now mere seconds away. But it was not to be so. Taking a deep breath and stretching her spine to attain her full five-foot- three-inches, Calleigh steeled herself one last time and opened the door only slightly.  
  
Horatio stood, centered in the doorframe, staring off into any abyss only he could see.  
  
"I know you said you needed to get away, Calleigh, but I can't let you go without saying some things first. Can we talk?" Horatio asked tentatively.  
  
Calleigh opened the door wider then and ushered him in with a flourish of her arm.  
  
Never one to forego her Southern upbringing she inquired, "Can I get you anything-beer, soda?"  
  
"No, Calleigh. Could we just sit?" Horatio wondered as he took the initiative and seated himself on the end of her couch farthest inside the room.  
  
Calleigh cautiously lowered herself onto the opposite end of the couch, being careful to sit facing forward and not letting any part of her body anywhere close to his. She kept her posture stiff and formal.  
  
"I'm in the middle of packing, Horatio. What did you want to talk about?" Calleigh fabricated an excuse to move the conversation along.  
  
Horatio wouldn't, couldn't look her in the eye. Instead, he rose and started walking around her living room, gently touching each piece of furniture as he came to it. After a near eternity, he turned to face her and, knowing that it was now or never, Horatio began to speak so softly that Calleigh had to strain to hear him.  
  
"Calleigh, I met with John Hagen this afternoon. Confronted him, actually. I had only your best interest at heart, honestly. I just wanted to warm him not to hurt you."  
  
Horatio couldn't help but notice the shock as it registered on her face, but he forged ahead, afraid not to keep talking.  
  
"Oh, God," her only response.  
  
Calleigh sprang up from the couch, intending to put even more distance between herself and Horatio. His lightening-fast reflexes kicked in just in time to take hold of her elbow as she attempted to pass him.  
  
"Calleigh, wait," he begged.  
  
Still holding her elbow with one hand, he tenderly stroked her flushed cheek wit the back of the other. Her automatic response was to lean into his hand, prolonging the caress. She could no more stop herself than she could stop the tides. Helpless to fight her primal instincts, she surrendered to the moment. From head to toe, she became boneless, weightless. Her resolve became as liquid, flowing out of her being in ripples.  
  
"Horatio." she rasped.  
  
He stopped her with a finger to her lips.  
  
"Shh.I understand now," he whispered and lowered his face achingly close to hers, stopping just before he would allow their lips to meet.  
  
"I understand why you feel you need to run away from me. That you're scared of your feelings and you're afraid that I don't feel the same as you. But, Calleigh, God, I do. So much. I've been just as scared to say it as you've been. I've hated seeing you with Hagen. I wanted you with me. I thought it would be selfish of me to think that you might feel the same. Hagen set me straight."  
  
Exhausted from his confession, Horatio sighed deeply and stepped back to watch Calleigh's reaction.  
  
"Really, Horatio? Do you really feel the same way? Because I think I'm in love with you. So, don't say it if you don't mean it, truly." Calleigh sniffled and lowered her eyes to the floor.  
  
Horatio gently lifted her chin, bringing her eyes back to his.  
  
"Oh, Calleigh. My beautiful Calleigh. I do. I love you, too. Can you forgive me for being such a fool?"  
  
With a lilting giggle, Calleigh brushed her lips to his ever so delicately, saying, "We can both be fools for love, as long as we're together."  
  
He took her in his arms then, and all else was forgotten. The two became one. Souls melded and spirits danced.  
  
Hours later, sated and spent, they lay intertwined, lazily drawing patterns on the other's skin.  
  
With a smile and a kiss, Calleigh laughed, "Thank you, John Hagen, wherever you are." 


End file.
